My theory about the last ride.

**somedumbguy** · 01-31-2013, 12:32 PM

There seems to be a lot attention right now about Ray making it all about Ray. While I have no doubt that Ray Lewis has a pretty high opinion of himself, I find it odd that so many people are so shocked to find a professional athelete with a big ego. I know its rare, but it does happen.

But there are a couple of things that I think a lot of people are putting into an unncessary poor light. First is the retirement announcement. I think this was primarily a signal to the fans in Baltimore who have supported him that this would be his last game. As a Raven fan, I appretiated that the best player ever to put on a Raven uniform was letting us know it was his last home game before it was his last home game. For fans more than his team, the chance to say goodbye publically was appretiated.

As far as the crying after the Broncos and Patriot games, I think its possible that Lewis, like the rest of us, probably did not think the Ravens would get to the Superbowl this year. Lots of atheletes have cried when they retired. Ray Lewis has been playing football his whole life and he was facing the real possibility in Denver and New England that the thing he had been doing his whole life was about to be over. And then when he has a chance to go back to the Superbowl 1 ore time..... It seems plausible to me that there was a little disbelief that he was getting that chance.

I heard one comment that Ray always seems to be seeing out the cameras. Maybe so, but the NFL has miked him up every chance they had for the last decade. On media day I am pretty sure the cameras sought him out every bit as much as he sought the cameras. I am not saying he needs more boot lickers and people should only suck up to him, but that those people that are so eager to hate whould open up to the possibility that his emotion just might be genuine.

**RavinFan** · 01-31-2013, 02:51 PM

Agreed, but it was also for his teammates.

**leachisabeast** · 01-31-2013, 02:57 PM

No offense intended, but the American sports media/world make me laugh at times, they can't leave people the hell alone. There is absolutely nothing wrong with what Ray Lewis has done here, why are they out to scrutinize him so damn much?

**admartian** · 01-31-2013, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

No offense intended, but the American sports media/world make me laugh at times, they can't leave people the hell alone. There is absolutely nothing wrong with what Ray Lewis has done here, why are they out to scrutinize him so damn much?

I agree.

It seems that they tend to go overboard with a lot of stuff. They can't just say K-Man is an EXCELLENT prospect and is playing well for a young guy.

NOPE.

EVERY podcast/article/TV spot you hear, it's all about "what the kid's done" and basically enshrining him to the HOF already.

Calm the fuck down.

You'll barely see this in international sport until he's reached the heights and actually sustained accomplishments already (see Messi for Soccer, Jonah Lomu for rugby etc).

**Bigfish** · 01-31-2013, 03:05 PM

Ray doesn't need to look for a camera, they look for him because there isn't a more polarizing figure in all of sports. He's a great football player that has been plagued by a past he has been unable to shake. He's got a bigger than life persona that you either like or think it's over the top. He receives equal amounts of praise and demonization; people flock to him for both reasons. Like him or hate him, he's in everyones head. In 5 years when he goes into Canton we'll hear it again. It'll be interesting to see how his legacy evolves.

**bensmotorcyclehelmt** · 01-31-2013, 03:09 PM

I'm not glad about the controversy.
BUT...
Am I the only person that's glad that the controversy is surrounding Ray and not Joe or Rice or Torrey or Suggs etc? He's got the target on his back and is the one player on the team that is used to dealing with it. He's been dealing with the hate for years.

Let Flacco and the young guys gameplan, study and perform and ray's serving as the media shield, taking the heat.

**BcRaven** · 01-31-2013, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

No offense intended, but the American sports media/world make me laugh at times, they can't leave people the hell alone. There is absolutely nothing wrong with what Ray Lewis has done here, why are they out to scrutinize him so damn much?

+1 ... and I think it took a certain amount of courage to actually say you're retiring before the playoffs. It put a lot of extra pressure on Ray, and he reacted, on the field, like he was 26 again. I don't blame him for crying either. He's an emotional guy, and was as pleasantly surprised as the rest of us that his last playoff run would be so long... Bc

**lobachevsky** · 01-31-2013, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by bensmotorcyclehelmt

I'm not glad about the controversy.
BUT...
Am I the only person that's glad that the controversy is surrounding Ray and not Joe or Rice or Torrey or Suggs etc? He's got the target on his back and is the one player on the team that is used to dealing with it. He's been dealing with the hate for years.

Let Flacco and the young guys gameplan, study and perform and ray's serving as the media shield, taking the heat.

Remember what happened in the runup to SB35? Brainy Brian Billick was everywhere, shooting his mouth off, calling out the media, all but painting a bullseye on his own back (my shoulders ache just typing that ;) )--

--with the deliberate intent of drawing all the venom of the mediots toward himself & taking the pressure off one Ray Lewis. Result: Ravens win Super Bowl, Ray is SBMVP, & Billick was none the worse for wear.

Whatever else Ray has done this year, announcing his retirement has drawn off whatever venom is left in the media & allowed his teammates to focus on the task at hand. And he will be none the worse for wear come Monday morning.